Over twenty protesters were ripped from the streets of St. Petersburg by Russian police officers and detained this afternoon. The activists marched in protest of the unjust treatment of gay and bi men in Chechnya.

While both the Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International denounced Chechnya and have demanded a solution to this injustice, the Chechnyan government deny these crimes in full. This includes Chechnya’s Moscow-backed president Ramzan Kadyrov, who has gone so far as to state that there are no gay men in Chechnya to persecute. Russian officials have had little to say on the matter, generally siding with Kadyrov.

The protesters marched carrying both Chechnyan and LGBTQ flags, covered in fake blood. Several arrests were made in conjunction with the protests. Photos from the detainment show the activists crammed into close quarters in deplorable conditions.

Check out some of the social media coverage of the May Day LGBTQ protests and arrests, in St. Petersburg.

“Participants are detained from celebrating May Day over their rainbow flags.”

What do you think of the arrests made at the May Day LGBTQ protests in Russia? Care to voice your opinion on the situation in Chechnya? Let us know in the comment section below or by tweeting us @unicornbooty.